Medicare Supplement

The System Behind Medicare Supplement Letters in Miami Gardens

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — If you've ever tried to shop for a Medicare Supplement policy, you've probably run into a wall of letters: Plan A, Plan G, Plan N, and a handful more. It looks confusing at first, but there's actually a simple system behind those letters — and once you understand it, comparing options gets a whole lot easier.

Here's what Medigap does, how the standardized letters work, and what to think about before you pick one.

What Medigap actually does

Medigap is extra insurance you can buy from a private company to help pay for what Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) doesn't cover. Think of the leftover costs after Medicare pays its share — things like coinsurance, copayments, and Part A and Part B deductibles. A Medigap policy is designed to pick up some or all of those gaps.

A few key ground rules from Medicare:

• Medigap only works with Original Medicare. You can't use it with a Medicare Advantage plan.
• You pay a monthly premium to the insurance company for the Medigap policy, on top of your Part B premium.
• Medigap policies generally do not include prescription drug coverage. For drugs, you'd add a stand-alone Part D plan.
• Each Medigap policy covers one person. Spouses need their own policies.

Why every Medigap plan is "lettered"

In most states, Medigap policies are standardized by the federal government. That means a "Plan G" sold by one company covers exactly the same benefits as a "Plan G" sold by another company. Same for Plan N, Plan K, and the rest.

The letters currently available include Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. (Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin standardize their plans differently.)

Because the benefits inside each letter are locked in by law, the main things that can differ between two companies selling the same letter are:

• The monthly premium
• Customer service and billing experience
• How the company adjusts premiums over time

That's the whole point of standardization: it lets you compare apples to apples.

A quick tour of what the letters generally cover

Every lettered plan covers a core set of basics, like Part A hospital coinsurance and an extra year of hospital coverage after Medicare benefits are used up. From there, the letters add different pieces on top.

In broad strokes:

• Plan A covers the basic benefits and not much else.
• Plan G is one of the most comprehensive options available to people newly eligible for Medicare today. It covers most out-of-pocket costs except the Part B deductible.
• Plan N is similar to Plan G but asks you to pay small copays for some office and emergency room visits.
• Plans K and L have lower premiums but higher out-of-pocket sharing, along with a yearly out-of-pocket limit.
• Plans C and F are only available to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. They cover the Part B deductible, which newer plans can't.

For a side-by-side chart of what each letter includes, Medicare's official comparison at medicare.gov is the best starting point.

When you buy matters — a lot

One of the most important things to understand about Medigap is the Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It's a 6-month window that starts the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B.

During that window, you have a guaranteed issue right: insurance companies can't turn you down or charge you more because of health problems. Outside that window, in most states, insurers can use medical underwriting — meaning they can ask health questions and potentially deny coverage or raise your price.

That's why the timing of your first Medigap decision often carries more weight than the specific letter you choose.

How to think about picking a letter

Since the benefits within each letter are the same across companies, the "how to decide" question usually comes down to a few honest trade-offs:

• How much predictability do you want? Plans that cover more upfront tend to have higher monthly premiums but fewer surprises at the doctor.
• How often do you expect to use care? If you rarely see doctors, a plan with lower premiums and higher cost-sharing may feel fine. If you have ongoing conditions, more coverage may bring peace of mind.
• Are you eligible for the older plans? If you were Medicare-eligible before 2020, Plans C and F may still be on the table for you.
• What's your budget over the long haul? Medigap premiums can rise over time. Ask each company how they price and adjust premiums.

Miami Gardens is in Miami-Dade County, where multiple insurance companies sell Medigap policies. Availability and pricing are set by the state and each insurer, not by Medicare, so it's worth checking a few companies before you decide.

How Medigap fits with Part D and other 2026 rules

Medigap doesn't cover prescription drugs, but the drug side of Medicare has meaningful changes to know about for 2026:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly amounts, if that helps with budgeting.
• IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Also worth marking on the calendar: the Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 – December 7, and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 – March 31. Medigap has its own separate rules and isn't tied to those windows.